


the stillness will sweep you away

by likewinning



Category: DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), Midnighter (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Retail, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7381681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likewinning/pseuds/likewinning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe Kyle <em>should</em> start meditating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the stillness will sweep you away

"Whatcha reading?" Kyle asks. Connor looks up from his book. Mia dropped him off half an hour early because she had class, so Connor's sitting at Starbucks, drinking his usual chai tea latte. He shows Kyle the title, and Kyle shakes his head. There's green paint in his hair, and a smudge of what looks like ink under his chin.

"You've got to be the only person I know who actually meditates," Kyle says. He sits down across from Connor, uninvited of course. Knowing Kyle, he's probably late for work already.

"It's good for you," Connor says. "It helps more than you would think. It keeps you… calm."

"Huh," Kyle says. He picks at a fleck of paint on his wrist. "I tried that once with one of my ex-girlfriends. Couldn't sit still long enough."

Connor's mouth twitches. "Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" he asks.

"Hey," Kyle says. He snatches the book out of Connor's hands. "I can be serious! As serious as this dude. I'm an _artist_ you know."

"I know," Connor says. He's seen some of Kyle's sketches, the elaborate drawings he does just for the chalkboard in front of the kiosk. 

"And I read," Kyle says, setting the book back down like it's offended him in some way.

"Mm," Connor says. "What do you like to read?"

While Kyle stammers for an answer, M walks up to their table. "You planning on being on time for work today, Rayner?" he asks.

"Sorry," Connor says. "I distracted him."

M snorts. "Fruit flies distract him."

"Hey, there was an _infestation_ ," Kyle says. Connor laughs, and Kyle blinks over at him.

"Um," Kyle says. "I guess I should. Go."

"Uh-huh," M agrees.

"See you later," Connor says and Kyle mumbles something and waves, tying his apron on as he goes.

M looks down at Connor. "You know, if he bothers you, you can just tell him to fuck off," M says.

"He's not bothering me," Connor says. His face feels a little warm.

"And I guess you'd never use that language," M teases, grinning.

"No," Connor agrees. "It's fine," he says. "We were just talking. I -" he starts, but there's a clatter of steaming pitchers from the kiosk, and M swears.

"I'd better go check on him before he starts a fire. Or a flood," M adds. "See you later, kiddo."

"Later," Connor agrees. He picks his book back up, but he doesn't grasp a single sentence. He keeps looking back up for a glimpse of Kyle - now covered in what looks like mocha.

 

*

 

Kyle's writing out another passive-aggressive sticky note to Wally - _it would sure be NICE if closers MOPPED once in a while_ \- when Connor comes up to the register.

"Hey!" Kyle says, with the enthusiasm of way too many espresso shots. Opening shifts are _hard_. "How's it going, man?"

"Good," Connor says. He smiles, and it's warm and soft and does something to Kyle's insides. The light coming in through the glass ceiling makes his blond hair look golden, and he looks well-rested and peaceful even at ass o'clock in the morning. Maybe Kyle _should_ start meditating. He ran out of the house this morning without shaving, and he couldn't get the paint out from under his nails so he looks gangrenous.

"How are you?" Connor asks. "I hope I didn't get you in trouble the other day with M."

"Nah, that's just M." Kyle shrugs. "You know how he is. Like a cranky housecat. With gauges."

"He's always nice to me," Connor says, laughing. "Maybe it's _you_."

Kyle sticks his tongue out at him, then remembers Connor's a customer and straightens up. "Um," he says. "What can I get you?"

"Just a green tea, please," Connor says. He follows Kyle over to the bar while Kyle makes the drink. "Are you by yourself?"

"Mr. Perfect's running late," Kyle says. He burns himself on the hot water, swears. "Probably got caught up with that new boyfriend of his. You know, the one from Hot Topic?"

"Dick?" Connor asks. "I like Dick," he says, and then seems to realize how that sounded because his face turns bright pink. It makes Kyle's hands itch for his pastels. Maybe next time he'll just draw Connor on the sign. If anything could attract customers -

"Kyle?" Connor asks.

"Sorry," Kyle says. He puts a lid on Connor's drink and sets it on the counter for him. "Um," he says. "I didn't mean - I mean, I wasn't saying - I just thought maybe getting some regularly would help M be more, you know, zen. Like you."

Connor looks up from stirring honey into his tea. "I'm not with anyone," Connor says.

"No, I know," Kyle said, even though he didn't. He _thought_ , but the last time he tried to ask M, M made him scrub all the tiles in the store because he's a _monster_. "I just - you're always so -"

"Excuse me," someone says, and Kyle looks over to see someone standing at the register.

"Sorry," Kyle says to the customer. He rushes over to help her, but by the time he turns back around Connor's already gone.

 

*

 

Kyle's crashed out on the bench by the fountain like some boho hobo when Connor comes up to him. "Hey Kyle, you okay?" Connor asks. Kyle scrambles to sit up, knocking his sketchpad and pencil off his lap, upending the iced coffee he had sitting next to him.

"Uh," Kyle says. He knows his face is bright red, can feel it burning on his cheeks. "Yeah, man, I'm fine, I. Guess I was pretty tired." He shrugs. "I was up pretty late finishing this painting."

Connor helps him mop up some of the mess, then hands him his sketchbook. It's open to Kyle's latest sketch, and when Kyle sees what it is he wants to fucking crawl under the bench and never come back out. But Connor doesn't say anything about it, just sits down next to him.

"What are you painting?" he asks.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Kyle says. He pushes his hand through his hair. "Like when I'm doing it, it's sort of like I'm in a trance, you know? I know exactly what I need to do. But when I come out of it…"

"You're not sure how you got there?" Connor finishes for him.

"Yeah," Kyle says. He knows he's staring, but he can't help it. 

Connor smiles, lowers his eyes. "That's how I feel when I'm fighting sometimes." He sits back, tips his head up to look at the ceiling. "When I was a kid, I used to get in fights all the time. I just… I wouldn't even know it was happening, but I'd black out and there was blood everywhere." He swallows. "I went to school after school, until my mom finally took me to this monastery out in Seattle."

"Jesus," Kyle says, and Connor turns to him and smiles.

"It wasn't so bad," he says. "They showed me how to channel the anger I had inside of me. I learned a lot there."

"Wow," Kyle says. "So why'd you leave?"

"Just needed a change, I guess," Connor says. He gets to his feet, says, "I should get going."

"Sure," Kyle says, even though he means _why_. Connor starts to walk away, but Kyle calls after him, "Will you stop by later?" and Connor turns back, grins at him.

"You bet," he says.

 

*

 

"So," M says. "You and Kyle." They're both waiting around for their class to start, leaning back against the wall and watching as people trickle in.

Connor looks over at him. "What about him?" he asks, and M raises an eyebrow.

"Look," M says. "I know I'm one to talk, but… You might be wasting your time with that one, kid."

Connor feels something boiling inside him. He _likes_ M, but he doesn't know everything - not about him, and not about Kyle. "And why is that?" he asks.

M shrugs. "The guy's a mess. Wouldn't know what he wants if it smacked him in the face."

"Maybe," Connor says. He pushes himself off the wall. "Maybe he doesn't want anything but to be my friend." It's not exactly the truth. Connor knows - he saw Kyle's sketchbook today, feels the way he looks at him. But he's never - he's never even gone beyond kissing someone.

All he knows is he feels _comfortable_ with Kyle. At ease, like a good meditation session.

"Look, I didn't mean -" M starts, but Connor shakes his head. "It's fine," he says. "Let's get started."

Their class goes well. Connor is seeing real progress in most of his students, and he tries to ignore the stares he gets as he walks around the room observing. He gets asked out all the time here - by students, by other instructors, by other people in the mall - but he never says yes. He's never had a reason to before.

But Kyle -

On his break, he stops by Starbucks. Kyle's working the register, but as soon as he sees him he grins at him and shouts to Donna, "I'm taking my break."

"You just took your -" Donna says, but Kyle ignores her, grabs Connor's tea and comes out from the kiosk, half tripping over the wooden gate as he does.

He hands Connor his drink and beams at him. His eyes are bright green, lit up like too many espresso shots, and Connor thinks -

"Hey," Kyle says, half out of breath.

"Hi," Connor says. He takes his drink from Kyle. "Thanks," he says. "But don't I need to pay for this?"

Kyle shrugs. "M's with _you_. He'll never know."

They walk over to a table and sit down. Kyle's leg bounces up and down, shaking the table.

"Are you okay?" Connor asks.

"Yeah," Kyle says. He stops bouncing. "I'm - I just - do you think…" He trails off, like Connor's supposed to extract actual information from any of that.

"Kyle," Connor says, and Kyle lets out a breath. He sets his drink down and looks right at Connor.

"I've never done this before," Kyle says. "I mean, I - but not with a guy. I didn't even know I…"

Connor looks down at his hands. "Kyle," he says. "Are you - do you like me?"

Kyle laughs, something breathy and desperate and manic. There's some ink on his wrist, and before Connor can stop himself he reaches across the table and takes Kyle's hand in his to look at it. It's some kind of design in black sharpie, filled in with half a dozen different colors.

"I don't have any real tats yet," Kyle says. "Can't make a decision to save my life. But I get bored, you know?"

"I like it," Connor says. He's still holding Kyle's hand. They stare at each other for too long, the noise from the mall all but disappearing. They should both be back at work by now, but it doesn't matter because Kyle blurts out, "Go out with me."

"Oh," Connor says. Kyle bites his lip, says, "Like on a date. I - I don't know what I'm doing. I never do. But I want - I want to try this, man."

Connor feels himself smiling. "And if it doesn't work out?"

Kyle grins, bright and nervous. "Then I guess you'll go back to paying for your own drinks."

Connor laughs, squeezes Kyle's hand before he lets go. "All right," he says. "I get off at three if you want to meet up. 

"Great," Kyle says. "I'll see you then."

They both get up to go, but just as Connor's turning away, Kyle stops him with a hand on his shoulder, licks his lip. "I just," Kyle says. "I know it's fast, but I just want to see, okay?" He doesn't give Connor a chance to answer before he kisses him, soft and quick, a brush of stubble and Kyle's hands on his face, still smelling like coffee.

Connor opens his eyes when Kyle pulls back. "Was that okay?" Kyle asks, and Connor nods, swallows.

"Three o'clock, right?" Kyle asks.

"Yes," Connor says. "I'll see you soon."

He's still a little flushed by the time he gets back to the gym. M gives him a look, but he doesn't say anything because Dick's bouncing around the gym doing cartwheels and backflips and handsprings. Connor barely sees any of it. Every time he licks his lips, he still tastes Kyle.

 

*

 

"So," Connor says later when he meets Kyle outside the gym. "What did you want to do?"

He's back in his regular clothes, and his hair looks wet from the shower he must've taken after work. Kyle gets this crazy urge to run his fingers through Connor's hair, to paint every gold-flecked drop of water.

"Uh," Kyle says. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. He hadn't really _thought_ that far. He doesn't really have any money - everything he makes goes to art school, food, and rent - and he's not sure what Connor likes.

"Um," Kyle says. "There's a good burger place up the road at bit, if you're hungry."

Connor's nose crinkles. "Do they have veggie burgers?" he asks.

"Oh," Kyle says. "Um, I think? Maybe. I didn't realize -"

"It's okay," Connor says. He laughs, and Kyle pulls out his phone and checks out the restaurant's menu.

"They have them," he says. "But if you want to go somewhere else, we can -"

"Kyle," Connor says. He touches Kyle's arm, just briefly. Kyle takes a deep breath. Girls never make him nervous like this. _No one_ makes him nervous like this, not even Donna when she's in one of _those_ moods because Kori's been away on a modeling shoot for too long.

"Sorry," Kyle says. They head for the mall exit. "I guess I'm a little - I've never. You know, with a guy."

Connor smiles at him, this beatific thing that he must've learned from those monks. "Don't laugh, but I've never even been on a date before."

Kyle stops in the doorway until some old man behind _loudly_ clears his throat and he has to step out of the way. They start walking through the parking lot. "Does that," Kyle says. He swallows. "Does that mean you're still - that you've never -"

Connor looks at him. "Are you asking if I'm a virgin, Kyle?"

"Yeah," Kyle says. "Yes."

"I am," Connor says. He shrugs. "I know it's not normal, or whatever. But I've never really been attracted to anyone - until you."

"Oh," Kyle says. His head spins. They cross the street to the burger joint, Kyle still processing.

"You're freaking out," Connor says when they reach the corner.

"No," Kyle says. "Okay, I mean, maybe a little, it's just - fuck." Connor turns to him. "You've really never?"

"No," Connor says. He sighs. "Look, if this bothers you, I -"

"No," Kyle says quickly. "It's not that. I'm just surprised, is all. I mean, you're… look at you."

Connor blushes. "Thank you," he says.

Kyle steps closer, into his space. "Can I?" he asks, and when Connor nods Kyle kisses him, nearly loses his fucking mind just from the breathy little sound Connor lets out. His lips are soft, not so much of a hint of stubble on his face, and when he brings his hand to rest on Kyle's cheek, Kyle feels the calluses on the pads of Connor's fingers.

"Sorry," Kyle says when they pull back. Traffic blares all around them and the air smells like burgers and charcoal. "Sorry if that's moving too fast."

Connor smiles at him, shakes his head. "I'm not so breakable, Kyle." He grins. "I mean, you know I could kill you with my thumb, right?"

Kyle groans. "Stop turning me on and let's go eat burgers, okay?"

But when they get to the restaurant and Kyle grabs the door, he blurts out in front of three other people exiting the restaurant, "But you jerk off, right?"

Connor apologizes to the other people and they grab a booth. They both order Cokes, and Kyle busies himself with his menu. He knows his face is still the color of the damn ketchup on the table. They order their food, and it's only then that Connor leans across the table and grins at him. "In answer to your question," he says, "yes."

"Y-yeah?" Kyle asks.

"Yes," Connor says. He ducks his head. "Much, ah. Much more recently, I might add, since."

"Since me?" Kyle asks, and Connor nods. "Man," Kyle breathes out, "we have got to talk about literally anything else."

So they talk about Kyle's art, and Connor's family, and how they both ended up in Gotham. Kyle always meant to go to New York or Metropolis, but Donna had a couch for him here, up until the time she politely asked him to stop turning her living room into an art studio. Connor polishes off his burger and the rest of Kyle's fries, and Kyle keeps stopping mid-sentence just to look at him.

"I wanna paint you," Kyle blurts out, and Connor chokes on a fry.

"Um," Connor says.

"Not like," Kyle says. He pushes his plate out of the way. "That sounded creepy. I just. Looking at you makes my hands itch."

Connor swirls his straw in his drink. "Why me?" he asks.

"Why you what?" Kyle asks, and Connor looks back up at him, big green eyes and eyelashes for days.

"You said you'd never been with a guy before. What is it about _me_ Kyle?" he asks.

"I don't know," Kyle says. He lets out a breath. "It's just this feeling I get every time I see you, man. Like my chest is gonna explode, or… Or something less gross and violent but with the same sentiment." Connor snorts. "I never met anyone so comfortable with themselves, man. It's amazing."

"Thank you," Connor says, and Kyle nods.

"What about you though? You've never dated _anyone_. Why would you start with me?"

Connor seems to think about it. He sips his Coke, watches the people around them. Then he says, "It's less chest explosions. More… I'm comfortable with you, Kyle. In a way I haven't really ever been with anyone. It made me want to try something new."

Kyle grins. "You can try _anything_ with me," he says.

"Now you sound like Roy," Connor says.

"Which one is that again?" Kyle asks, and Connor laughs. They sit in the restaurant long after they finish eating, until the sun starts to set and Kyle realizes if he's ever going to get his homework done, he needs to get home.

Kyle's car comes up first in the lot, so they stop there. "Well," Connor says.

"So," Kyle says. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure," Connor says. He reaches out, touches Kyle's shoulder. He crowds into his space, tall and muscular and smelling like fries and the soap they use at the gym. "But we should do this again, too," he says. He kisses Kyle, opens his mouth with his tongue, and Kyle tries and fails not to moan like some overeager teenager.

Connor pulls back, his eyes a darker green than they were just a minute ago. Kyle brushes Connor's bottom lip with his thumb, and Connor kisses it, offers a shy smile. "I know you probably get tired of hearing this," Kyle says. "But jesus, you're gorgeous."

Connor blushes right down to his neck, pink the color of a sunset. "It's different when you say it."

Kyle kisses him again, can't help himself, not when Connor backs up against Kyle's beat up Chevy, spreads his legs so Kyle can step between them. Kyle's hard, can feel Connor is to, and it takes everything in him not to drop to his knees right here. He's never done _anything_ with a guy before, but Connor -

"Fuck," Kyle says, pulling back. "I gotta go before I do something really inappropriate."

"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Connor teases, and Kyle laughs and flips him off.

"Tomorrow, right?" Kyle asks, and Connor nods, starts off toward his car. "Tomorrow," Connor agrees.

When Kyle gets in his car, he doesn't move for a while still. He watches the sunset from his window, licks his lips and tastes Connor. He goes home and does his homework, crashes out in front of the TV and doesn't even complain too much when his wake up alarm goes off at four in the morning.

At work, M says Kyle's good mood is annoying him, so he makes him clean all the syrup pumps even though Wally probably did it last night, and then since they're slow he makes him deep clean the drains.

"Look," M says a little while later. "Connor's a good kid. Little naive, but good. But if you hurt him, man, I will find a way to make your every shift miserable."

Kyle tilts his head. "You know he can kill someone with his thumb, right?"

It almost looks like M's about to smile, but then he grunts and says, "Go clean the espresso machine. It sounds funny."

" _You_ sound funny," Kyle shoots back, but he does what M says, and by the time Connor shows up, Kyle's covered in espresso grit and humming a medley of three different Pixies songs.

"M," Kyle starts, and M glares at him. But Connor comes up to the counter, smiles at M and asks, "Can Kyle come out to play?"

"Fine," M says. "But it's only a ten, okay?"

"Of course," Connor says. Kyle washes his hands and all but leaps over the gate to get out of the kiosk. M rolls his eyes at them, but he still gives Connor his drink for free. Maybe he's not as bad as Kyle thinks.


End file.
